DESCRIPTION: (From the Investigator's Abstract) This Phase II SBIR project will complete development of geographic boundary analysis software for the evaluation of spatial relationships among oncogenes, the environment, and cancer. Boundaries are the edges of homogeneous areas or are zones of rapid change in a variable's value, and are of fundamental scientific interest in fields such as population genetics, exposure assessment, and cancer epidemiology. Examples include borders of health, water, and political districts; features such as rivers and roads; edges of pollution plumes; ecotones; and zones of rapid change in health outcomes such as cancer mortality. During Phase I, investigators developed prototype software (GEM) and User Manual. The prototype was evaluated by a panel of experts and applied to detect zones of rapid change in cancer mortality in Illinois. These results firmly demonstrate project feasibility, and Phase II will build on them to accomplish five objectives: 1) Refine the software in response to expert panel's critique; 2) Conduct applied studies for inclusion in the User Manual; 3) Assess the statistical power of boundary statistics; 4) Implement fuzzy boundary statistics; and 5) Prepare educational materials for university courses. Accomplishment of these aims will provide the educational foundation and tools needed to explore boundary-generating phenomena. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: NOT AVAILABLE